The Fishing Line - May 27th Edition

Freshwater Fishing, Fisheries Management, and Fishing Access News

In This Issue:

• Muskellunge Season in New York Is Just Around the Corner
• New State Record Channel Catfish
• Panfish Project in Progress
• Fisheries Staff Spotlight – Steve Robb, Fish & Wildlife Technician 2, DEC Region 8

Muskellunge Season in New York Is Just Around the Corner

Mark your calendars- fishing seasons for muskellunge begin on June 1 in inland waters and June 15 in Great Lakes waters (Lake Erie, Upper Niagara River, Lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River)*. Muskies are managed as trophy fish in New York, and minimum size regulations of 40 inches for inland waters and 54 inches for Great Lakes waters reflect that. Some exceptions to inland water regulations exist, so be sure to check the current fishing regulations for the water you plan to fish.

Popular hotspots for trophy muskies include the St. Lawrence River, Upper Niagara River, and Chautauqua Lake. Other quality fisheries can be found at Waneta, Greenwood, Bear, and Cassadaga lakes and the Susquehanna, Chenango, and Great Chazy rivers.

More on Muskies
Musky Fishing Tips 
Musky, Pike, Tiger Musky, and Pickerel Fishing Opportunities
Muskellunge Management in New York

*To accommodate previously planned fishing trips, DEC will allow muskellunge fishing in inland waters beginning the last Saturday in May for this year only.

New State Record Channel Catfish

We just added a channel catfish to the record books! On May 8th Bailey Williams of Watertown, NY was bottom fishing with cut bait in the Black River (Jefferson County) when he reeled in a new state record channel catfish...from his kayak! The behemoth officially weighed in at 35 pounds 12 ounces and measured 40 inches, beating out the 2017 record caught from Lake Ontario by 9 ounces.

Congratulations Bailey!

A complete list of New York's state record fish can be found on our website.

State records are one of three categories in New York’s Angler Achievement Awards Program, a program that recognizes anglers that catch large fish that meet established criteria. Visit our website for information on  program rules and how to enter your catch.

Check out last year's winners - 2021 Angler Achievement Awards Recap Video.

Panfish Project in Progress

Bureau of Fisheries staff have been busy this spring conducting trap net surveys in waters across the state to monitor the impacts of new fishing regulations for sunfish and crappie. This work is part of the Big Panfish Initiative, a five-year study to determine if more conservative fishing regulations result in improvements to the size structures of sunfish and crappie populations, providing more consistent opportunities to catch bigger fish. The study includes annually monitoring the 11 lakes where a daily limit of 15 and a minimum size limit of 8 inches have been established for sunfish. There are also 9 lakes where the statewide crappie minimum size limit increase from 9 to 10 inches is being evaluated.

For more information on this program, check out our Sunfish and Crappie Management webpage. The 2021 survey results will be posted later this summer.

Fisheries Staff Spotlight – Steve Robb, Fish & Wildlife Technician 2, DEC Region 8

My career with the DEC began after I received my degree from SUNY Brockport. I started out as a seasonal fisheries technician with the Lake Erie Fisheries Unit in 2002. In 2006 I joined the Fish Culture Unit where I spent over a decade working at the Randolph, Bath, and Caledonia hatcheries stocking and transferring fish all over New York State. Some of my favorite stocking trips included the Great Lakes lake trout stockings. Once I got the fish to the lake, I would drive the truck onto a World War II type landing craft. This boat would then take the stocking truck a mile out into the lake where I would then release the fish. I also participated in several egg takes over those years. These took me to places like Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks, Oneida Lake, and Chautauqua Lake. In 2016 I was promoted to my current position in Region 8. My duties include participating in the various fisheries surveys that include electroshocking, trap netting, and gill netting. Region 8 is a great place to work, and in my opinion, my co-workers are second to none. The variety of work is fantastic. I could be in a small brook trout stream one day, and then out on Lake Ontario the next.

I spend most of my personal time with my family that includes my wife, Heidi; son Emmett, 11; and daughter Molly, 9. We enjoy spending as much time as possible being active and enjoying the outdoors. Some of our favorite activities are hiking, biking, kayaking, and spending time in our backyard pool. When I have time to myself, I like to spend it fishing, hunting, and gardening. I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for the outdoors with my family and hope that they will cherish the outdoors as much as I do throughout their lives.

The greatest and most rewarding accomplishment of my career came in 2016 when I saved a man’s life during a routine stocking trip. Shortly after the fish were released the volunteer assisting me collapsed from a heart attack. I used CPR and helped him start breathing again multiple times until first responders arrived and took over. This person survived and is still alive today. I was fortunate to earn the “Commissioner’s Meritorious Service Award,” and as far as I know, am the only person in the history of DEC to be honored with such an award.

I wrote a story for the Conservationist magazine about the incident that can be found in the April 2017 issue.